TRACKER Crimes statistics for the year July 2018 to June 2019 have been released and reveal that in KZN hijackings mainly occur in Sydenham, Imbali and Avoca Hills, while theft is mostly reported in Glenwood, Morningside and Musgrave.
The stats also provide insight into the time of day and day of the week when vehicle crime in most like to occur.
According to the data collected, most activated hijackings take place on a Friday between 11am and 1pm, followed by 8pm to 11pm. Theft of vehicles activations occur mainly on a Saturday between noon and 2pm. Activations are recorded when recovery action is initiated.
The data also reveals that there has been an increase in hostage taking during hijackings compared to the previous year.
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Tracker Executive Ron Knott-Cragg said in most cases people were too complacent and did not take notice of their surroundings which made them soft targets for brazen thieves. “Criminals recognise and seize the opportunity when they spot an unsuspecting victim,” he said. Other techniques employed by criminals include them impersonating police to commit hijackings, spiking fo drinks to take advantage of unsuspecting victims and vehicle theft using online selling platforms were sellers hand over goods after receiving fake payment.
Regarding business crime, Knott-Cragg said most vehicles were stolen to obtain their cargo, but there were instances where the vehicle itself was sought.
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